KALESERAMIK Canakkale Kalebodur Seramik Industries – part of Kale Group – claims to be the world’s largest ceramics producer in a single area, and now has grown even bigger, stretching beyond its home boundaries.

The Kale Group has now achieved what was previously impossible in Italy by acquiring Italian ceramic tiles manufacturing company Fincuoghi.

“The acquisition of a tile facility in Italy by another foreign company was seen as impossible by the sector a few years ago. This acquisition is also a first for the Italian ceramic tile industry,” Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News quoted Zeynep Bodur Okyay, president of the Kale Group, as saying.

An Italian branch of the group will manage all operations of the new acquisition. Fincuoghi, founded in 1968, produces the trademarks Edilcuoghi, Edilgres and Campani.

However, mere size or production capacity isn’t the only reason for Kale’s fame. The company produces nearly 200 new products every year using the latest technology in the industry. And though Kale’s products are expensive compared to those of its other Turkish competitors, it has an edge over them with respect to design and quality, says Aysen Uz, the company’s brand and communication manager.

Kale has a massive production capacity of 66 million sq m per year and accounts for half of Turkey’s ceramic products exports, with 60 per cent of this going to European countries. Around the world, it exports to 65 countries, with its top export markets being England, France and Germany.

“Kale is also a renowned brand in the Gulf and the wider Middle East region with numerous reference projects in Dubai, where it has a large showroom. It is also represented in Qatar and Saudi Arabia through local distributors and has a showroom in Iraq,” says Uz.

The company produces 1,900 varieties of floor tiles in 50 different dimensions and 2,200 varieties of wall tiles in 60 different dimensions. The latest additions to its portfolio include the Cube and Dot bathroom collections. Both designed by Tamer Nakisci, they create a brand new design concept that calls attention to digitalisation and individualisation.
“With their gorgeous ceramic designs, these collections reflect Kale’s holistic outlook for the bathroom. Cube and Dot are a departure from common designs in every aspect. They both allow for total freedom of expression. They are the union of interactivity, brought to us by the digital age, and an innovative understanding of space,” explains Uz.

Cube transforms colour and form into an instrument that the designer can use to freely shape and recreate a space. On the other hand, Dot’s decal print decors enhance the simplicity of black and white. The decors’ metallic colours offer a glitter that complements the circular form of the tile. They allow for designs that reflect the gleam of purity and the charm of the night, Uz adds.

Kale ... world’s largest ceramics producer in a single area, says Uz (below).

Kale, a leading brand offering high-quality, functional, stylish and reasonably-priced products, manufactures sanitary ware and auxiliary products for modern bathrooms, bathroom and kitchen accessories, acrylic bathtubs and shower trays, and shower-bathtub cabins. Its bathroom furniture reflects the latest trends of the design world – from classic to the latest patterns and textures.

Other important brands of Kale include Canakkale Seramik and Kalebodur, and  Kalekim.

Listed among the leading manufacturers in the world with its experience in the sector for over a half century, Canakkale Seramik goes beyond traditional patterns to present customisable options for every taste and preference. Its collections bring attractive textures like wood, natural stone, metal and textile to surfaces in line with decoration trends. The stunning collections in the extensive Canakkale Seramik portfolio have been designed by world-famous artists, each designed to create aesthetic, eco-friendly, hygienic and durable products.

With a name that has become synonymous with ceramic tiles in Turkey, and a history of decorating millions of houses, Kalebodur offers professionals a refreshing product range that inspires.

Kalekim, which offers ceramic adhesives and joint fillers, is an industry leader in Turkey with 65 per cent market share. Kalekim products are manufactured in Istanbul, Isparta, Mersin and Yozgat factories in Turkey, and in a factory  in Russia.

Kale came into being in 2000 after two leading brands – Canakkale Ceramic Factories and Kalebodur Ceramic – were brought under one umbrella. Canakkale, Turkey’s first ceramic tile producer, was founded in 1957 and Kalebodur, Turkey’s first floor tile producer, was founded in 1972. Over the years, Canakkale Ceramic become famous for its quality in wall tiles while Kalebodur has become a generic name for the product.

Under the Canakkale Seramik and Kalebodur brands, Kaleseramik continues to produce at 50 factories located at Can, involving a total area of 1.25 million sq m of outdoor space and 650,000 sq m of indoor space. These factories, as well as having a yearly production capacity of 27.5 million sq m for wall tiles, 32 million sq m of floor tiles and 6.5 million sq m of granite ceramics, also have the capacity to produce 15,000 tonnes of insulation and 40,000 tonnes of frit. In addition, the factory in Yozgat, begun production in June 2007 and has the capacity to produce 6 million sq m floor tiles per year.

Being a ceramics giant, Kale is well aware of its environmental responsibilities. “The senior management of Kale has shown its sensitivity towards the environment with the policy it has established. The company has upheld the philosophy of ‘producing without consuming nature’ by recycling and maximising the conservation of natural resources,” says Uz.

In addition to the implementation of quality, occupational health and safety management systems, an environmental management system, which is in accordance with TS EN ISO 14001:2005 standard is also implemented. All the waste resulting from the production and service processes is managed in accordance with environmanetal requirements.